PRANAVSAI GANDIKOTA — SOFTWARE ENGINEER / APPLIED AI

Orlando, Florida | B.S. Computer Science, University of Central Florida | GPA 3.99

Email: pranavsaigandikota@gmail.com

GitHub: https://github.com/pranavsaigandikota

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pranavsaig

Resume: https://pranavsaig.dev/Pranavsai_Gandikota_SWE.pdf


ABOUT
Engineering At Ford, I migrated six batch processes to Java 21 and Spring Boot on GCP, reducing processing time by 92%, from 45 to 3.5 minutes. I validated 200,000+ records, added 143 tests with over 90% coverage, resolved 31 critical SonarQube findings, and built secret refresh that reloads services in under two minutes without restarts. I also contribute to full-stack development at NextGen Federal. With Bill Ford during my Ford internship Research My work in applied AI includes research at UCF's ISUE Lab, where I fine-tuned three Llama 3.1 8B adapters with QLoRA on 1,820 study examples to predict cognitive load and usability from VR responses. I also built a Python text-to-3D workflow connecting scene extraction, Stable Diffusion 3.5, human review, and TRELLIS, processing 135 images across 30 scene directories and metadata for 48 objects. Earlier, my 50-page Exodus space-settlement proposal won first prize in the NSS contest among 17,000+ students and 3,000+ entries from 22 countries. I presented the work through oral and poster presentations at ISDC. Hands-on VR research at UCF Community and leadership I enjoy helping people learn and build together. As SASE's CS Tech Chair, I led a 12-person team to build the complete website, taking it from a static site to a fully functional event platform serving 230+ registered members, with registration, membership, QR attendance, forms, email engagement, and admin analytics. I love participating in hackathons and building new things. I enjoy working with a team to turn an idea into something people can try, learning new tools along the way. I led a six-member team building uKnight, using distributed Redis matchmaking and WebRTC video chat. For Paradise, I built a vision-to-haptics navigation pipeline for DeafBlind users. Our team placed 3rd Best Overall among 290+ projects at ShellHacks 2026, with 1,400 hackers participating. I supported 166 students as a Java OOP teaching assistant and led collaborative Computer Science I study sessions as an SI Leader. As AI@UCF Projects Director, I help students turn ideas into working AI projects, and I contribute web design and 3D animation to KnightHacks. I helped plan Diwali and Banquet events for UCF's Indian Student Association, including Diwali for 230+ attendees. I also shadowed engineering professionals at BNY and organized science fairs and cultural festivals as a school Cultural Secretary. The SASE community behind the platformDiwali event Outside engineering Outside of engineering, I love making animations in my free time. I also enjoy piano, filmmaking, and hands-on robotics. I built remote-controlled animatronic heads and published the Unity games Jenny's Playtime on Itch.io and Jumblehot on the Amazon Appstore. My hands-on animatronics projects


EXPERIENCE

Ford Motor Company | Software Engineering Intern | May 2026 — August 2026
At Ford, I worked on internal applications and the cloud services behind them, with a focus on reliable processing and safe releases.
Cut processing time by 92% (45 to 3.5 minutes) by migrating six Java Struts batch jobs to Java 21 and Spring Boot on GCP Cloud Run, moving data-heavy work into PostgreSQL stored procedures.
Automated scheduled fixed-width file generation and SFTP delivery to GECHUB for QAD processing; validated over 200,000 records against legacy outputs without disrupting downstream processes.
Added 143 automated tests with over 90% coverage and resolved 31 critical SonarQube findings, including SQL injection and credential-logging risks, before release through Tekton CI/CD.
Built automated secret refresh using Secret Manager, Pub/Sub, Cloud Functions, and Spring Actuator, reloading affected GOaLS services in under two minutes without restarts; provisioned infrastructure with Terraform.
I developed full-stack internal applications with Spring Boot microservices and React.js.
I worked on backend infrastructure across GCP Cloud Run, Pub/Sub, and Cloud SQL, alongside automated CI/CD.
Test-driven development and cross-functional architecture reviews were part of how I kept the work reliable.

NextGen Federal | Software Engineering Intern | May 2026 — Present
My work at NextGen Federal is in full-stack development and software engineering.
Contributing to new features and report generation tools in C#.

SASE (UCF) | Computer Science Tech Chair | Jun 2026 — Present
As CS Tech Chair, I led a 12-person team to build the complete SASE website, taking it from a static site to a fully functional platform for the community I help organize and teach.
Led a 12-person team to build the complete UCF SASE website, taking it from a static site to a fully functional event platform for 230+ registered members. Built registration, membership, QR attendance, forms, email engagement, and admin analytics from the ground up.
Lead frontend and backend developers maintaining the official UCF SASE website and facilitate technical, project-based computer science workshops for members.
I design and facilitate technical and project-based computer science workshops around members' academic and professional development.
I cultivate partnerships with academic and professional organizations to create networking and collaborative event opportunities.
I use member feedback and workshop outcomes to improve future programming and deliverables.
I help manage budgets, materials, and committee resources for technical initiatives.

CECS, UCF | Teaching Assistant - Object-Oriented Programming with Java | Jan. 2026 — May 2026
As a Java OOP teaching assistant, I helped students work through programming, design, and debugging during weekly office hours.
Graded assignments and exams for correctness and algorithmic efficiency, and held weekly office hours supporting 166 students on Java OOP design, programming, and debugging.
I assisted Dr. Arup Guha with course administration and grading.

Student Academic Resource Center (SARC), UCF | Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader - Computer Science 1 | Aug. 2025 — Dec. 2025
As an SI Leader, I ran collaborative study sessions supporting Dr. Arup Guha's Computer Science I classes, both in person and on Zoom.
Holding collaborative study sessions for students enrolled in Computer Science I in support to Dr. Arup Guha's classes.
Facilitated both in-person and online sessions (via Zoom) to support diverse learning needs.
Designing and holding engaging review materials, practice problems, and interactive activities to reinforce course concepts.
Encouraging active participation and peer-to-peer learning to strengthen student understanding and problem-solving skills.
Supporting students in preparing for exams and assignments by breaking down complex topics into approachable steps.

ISUE Lab (AI/ML - VR and Human Computer Interaction), UCF | Undergraduate Research Assistant | Sep. 2024 — Dec. 2025
At the ISUE Lab, I worked across applied AI, text-to-3D workflows, and hands-on VR research with users.
Fine-tuned three Llama 3.1 8B adapters on 1,820 NASA-TLX and SUS examples using PyTorch, CUDA, Hugging Face Transformers, and QLoRA with 4-bit quantization.
Built a Python text-to-3D workflow spanning scene extraction, Stable Diffusion 3.5, human review, and TRELLIS; processed 135 images across 30 scene directories and metadata for 48 objects.
Orchestrated long-running GPU jobs with subprocesses, thread-safe queues, watchdog timers, and isolated Conda environments while keeping the review interface responsive.
I co-authored related works for a SIGGRAPH paper submission on 3D scene generation from natural language.
I conducted user studies for the VR Sensor Awareness project.

KnightHacks, UCF | Web Design and 3D Animation | Sep. 2025 — Present
I contribute to the KnightHacks website and 3D animation, and help with Dev Sprints and work behind the hackathon.
Designing and developing the official KnightHacks website UI/UX.
Creating 3D animations, graphics, and visual assets to enhance the hackathon’s branding and user experience.
Helping in Dev Sprints and other tasks behind KnightHacks.
Contact: pranavsaig@knighthacks.org

Indian Student Association UCF | Diwali and Banquet Director | Jun 2025 — May 2026
I helped bring Diwali and Banquet to life by planning the events, coordinating with teams and clubs, and speaking on stage.
Planned and delivered Diwali and Banquet events for UCF’s Indian Student Association.
Planned and spoke at Diwali for 230+ attendees, coordinating teams and clubs to bring the event to life.
Contributed innovative ideas and guided team members to ensure successful event execution.
I led planning and execution for Diwali and Banquet and worked across teams and clubs to deliver the events for the UCF community.

Ithaka International School | Cultural Secretary | Jun 2022 — Apr 2023
As Cultural Secretary, I helped organize science and technology fairs alongside cultural festivals at school.
Initiated and led science/tech fairs and cultural festivals.
Showcased leadership and collaboration skills.

National Space Society | NSS Space Settlement Research/Presenter | Dec 2022 — Feb 2023
Exodus began as my research proposal for a sustainable space settlement. I developed the paper and shared the work through oral and poster presentations at ISDC.
Authored a 50-page research paper on sustainable space habitation.
First Place Winner among 17,000+ students (3,000+ entries) from 22 countries for 'Exodus' space settlement design.
Presented the research paper to industry leaders at the International Space Development Conference 2022.

BNY | Knights Shadow | Dec 2025 — Dec 2025
Through Knights Shadow at BNY, I spent time with engineering professionals to learn about their work in financial services.
Shadowed industry professionals at BNY Mellon, gaining first-hand exposure to the daily operations and technical challenges of a global financial services company.
Networked with software engineering managers and technical leads to understand the software development lifecycle (SDLC) within the fintech sector.
Acquired insights into enterprise-scale application workflows, identifying key skills and technologies required for success in financial software engineering.

Perplexity | Campus Partner | Perplexity | Sep 2025 — Dec 2025
As a campus partner, I introduced students to Perplexity and Comet through outreach and conversations about studying and research.
Promoting Perplexity AI on campus by driving student adoption, referrals, and engagement with Comet and Perplexity Pro.
Gaining hands-on experience in marketing, outreach, and community building.
Connecting students to smarter ways to study and research.


PROJECTS

UCF SASE Official Website
Led a 12-person team to take the UCF SASE website from a static site to a fully functional event platform for 230+ registered members.
Led a 12-person team as CS Tech Chair to build the complete UCF SASE website, transforming a static site into a fully functional Next.js and Supabase event platform serving 230+ registered members. Planned and delegated frontend and backend work as we built event registration, membership, attendance, forms, and email engagement features from the ground up.
Built the QR check-in and attendance system, designed the PostgreSQL schema, and integrated an admin dashboard for event and form creation, RSVP tracking, and club demographics.
Technologies: Next.js, TypeScript, Supabase, PostgreSQL, Vercel

Paradise | SHELLHACKS 2026: 3rd Best Overall
Touch-only navigation for DeafBlind users, translating live video and location cues into Joy-Con haptics.
Won 3rd Best Overall at ShellHacks 2026 among over 290 projects and 1,400 hackers.
Built touch-only navigation for DeafBlind users by streaming phone video over WebRTC to a laptop perception pipeline and converting object, obstacle, GPS, and compass cues into Joy-Con haptics.
Kept obstacle guidance responsive by running Depth Anything V2 separately from slower object detection, estimating approximate metric distances at 80 ms per frame with a RANSAC floor-plane fit.
Technologies: JavaScript, Node.js, WebGPU, WebRTC, WebHID, Computer Vision, YOLO, GPS, Haptics, ONNX Runtime, Depth Anything V2
Demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVIRTrum1OM
Source: https://devpost.com/software/paradise-n0i7of

uKnight
University video chat with WebRTC connectivity and distributed Redis matchmaking, built by a six-member team.
Led a six-member team building an anonymous university video-chat platform; deployed the Spring Boot and WebSocket backend on GCP Cloud Run for WebRTC signaling.
Moved matchmaking and session state to a distributed Redis sorted set, using an atomic Lua operation to prevent double-matches and stale-session pruning to support multiple backend instances.
Technologies: React, Spring Boot, WebRTC, PostgreSQL, Redis, GCP, WebSockets, OAuth, Next.js, Docker, Lua
Demo: https://uknight.net
Source: https://github.com/uKnight-Co/uKnight

Sentinel | Hacklytics 2026: Golden Byte
Web Extension for Real-Time Misinformative Content Detection.
Built a Chrome extension acting as a real-time trust and safety layer for social media, automatically analyzing images and videos for AI-generation artifacts.
Injected side note badges onto X (Twitter) feeds via MutationObserver, parsing DOM and intercepting GraphQL API responses.
Implemented a backend running local ML models (CLIP, SDXL-detector, GAN-face detector) with FastAPI and Actian VectorAI DB for fast KNN similarity search.
Integrated Sphinx Reasoning SDK to provide natural language explanations of AI detection risk levels.
Technologies: JavaScript, React, Chrome Extension, Python, FastAPI, Actian VectorAI, Hugging Face, Sphinx AI
Demo: https://devpost.com/software/sentinel-w2ehfs
Source: https://github.com/AlphaKnight1701-A/Sentinel

RePlot | SwampHacks 2026
AI-powered urban planning tool identifying underutilized land for sustainable development.
AI-Powered Site Discovery: Uses Google Gemini to scan cities and identify underused land.
Smart Exclusions: Automatically skips sensitive areas like schools and parks.
The RePlot Impact Engine: Combines AI pattern recognition with scientific models to validate sites.
Sustainability Analysis: Estimates carbon reduction, urban cooling, and biodiversity impact.
Interactive Mapping: Live maps with high-resolution satellite imagery and boundary highlighting.
Technologies: React, FastAPI, Python, Google Gemini, Mapbox GL
Demo: https://devpost.com/software/replot
Source: https://github.com/Yimo-Liu-13196/SwampHacks

Satchel
AI-powered full-stack inventory platform with smart parsing and chatbot assistance.
Built a full-stack inventory platform with Spring Boot (RESTful CRUD APIs) and React for managing different kinds of inventory. Support to form group inventories for combined management.
Integrated Spring AI with GPT to parse shopping bills/lists, auto-add inventory items, and power an inventory-aware chatbot for assistance and planning.
Secured inventory access using Spring Security and Auth0, and deployed via multi-stage Docker builds and CI/CD on Render.
Technologies: Spring Boot, PostgreSQL, React, Spring Data JPA, Spring AI, Spring Security, OAuth 2.0, Auth0, Docker, GPT
Demo: https://satchel-frontend-one.vercel.app/
Source: https://github.com/pranavsaigandikota/Satchel

ReVision | ShellHacks 2025
Real-time AI tutor for whiteboard problem solving using Gemini Vision.
Developed a real-time AI tutor that watches over and gives guidance suggestions while you solve problems on a whiteboard from uploaded question sets.
Worked on implementing Supabase and connecting Gemini Vision with Google Vision OCR for real-time whiteboard recognition.
Technologies: Google Gemini, Google Vision, React, Flask, Supabase
Demo: https://revision-bay.vercel.app/
Source: https://github.com/KaziAmin110/Revision/tree/main

TACO | KnightHacks 2025
Voice-controlled robotic arm using computer vision to organize objects.
TACO (Technically Autonomous Coordinated Organizer) is a voice-controlled robotic arm built with LEGO Mindstorms. It uses Computer Vision (YOLOv8) to detect objects and ElevenLabs API for voice interaction, executing commands to pick and place items autonomously.
Technologies: Python, OpenCV, YOLOv8, ElevenLabs API, PyBricks, Flask, LEGO Mindstorms
Demo: https://devpost.com/software/taco-j9ma8r
Source: https://github.com/AlphaKnight1701-A/TACO

Freedom Finances | ShellHacks 2024
Debt management app analyzing bank statements for personalized recommendations.
Designed and implemented the frontend for a debt management website which uses GPT-3.5 and the Plaid API to analyze bank statements and deliver personalized debt management recommendations.
Technologies: ReactJS, Bootstrap, Figma
Demo: https://devpost.com/software/freedom-finances
Source: https://github.com/colemaring/Freedom-Finanaces

Vision | KnightHacks VII 2024
Hands-free drawing app using eye tracking and voice commands.
Created application enabling users with limited mobility to draw on a virtual canvas hands-free using eye tracking (MediaPipe + OpenCV) and voice commands (SpeechRecognition).
Technologies: Python, OpenCV, MediaPipe, SpeechRecognition
Demo: https://devpost.com/software/vision-q7yp45
Source: https://github.com/pranavsaigandikota/Vision

Jenny’s Playtime
Story-driven horror survival game with AI bots.
Developed Jenny’s Playtime, a story-driven horror survival game featuring AI bots, published on Itch.io.
Technologies: C#, Unity, Game Development, AI Bots
Demo: https://filmasticpg.itch.io/jennys-playtime
Source: https://filmasticpg.itch.io/jennys-playtime

Jumblehot
Endless jumping game published on the Amazon Appstore.
Created and published Jumblehot, an endless jumping game released on the Amazon Appstore.
Technologies: C#, Unity, Mobile Development, Game Design
Demo: https://www.amazon.com/FilmasticPG-Jumblehot/dp/B08DDD14JD
Source: https://www.amazon.com/FilmasticPG-Jumblehot/dp/B08DDD14JD

NextFlix
Mobile movie discovery app with trailers and watchlist.
Developed a mobile movie discovery app with browsing, trailers, and personalized watchlist features.
Integrated TMDB API for real-time movie data and Appwrite for secure authentication and database storage.
Technologies: React Native, Expo, Appwrite, TMDB API, NativeWind
Source: https://github.com/pranavsaigandikota/NextFlix/

Humanotone
Turn facial expressions and gestures into music in your browser.
Browser-based instrument that turns facial expressions and hand gestures into music. Built with React, TensorFlow.js, and Mediapipe, with Tone.js handling sound generation.
Technologies: React, TensorFlow.js, Mediapipe, Tone.js, Webcam Input, Real-Time Interaction
Demo: https://pranavsaigandikota.github.io/Humanotone/
Source: https://github.com/pranavsaigandikota/Humanotone/

Exodus
Authored a 50-page research paper on sustainable space habitation.
Authored a 50-page research paper on sustainable space habitation.
Won 1st place among 17,000+ students (3,000+ entries) from 22 countries in NSS Space Settlement Contest.
Presented the research paper to industry leaders at the International Space Development Conference 2022.
Technologies: Research, Blender
Demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYl_ZlsiQ1c
Source: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SmqbU08lu2u-oHAElzyCyP6lZpyM0h15/view

Robotic Animatronics
Custom-built animatronic heads with remote control operation.
Created animatronic heads as a hobby, learning the skills of designing, building, and programming robots to operate with a remote control.
Technologies: Design, Building, Programming, Robotics
Demo: https://filmasticpg.wixsite.com/mysteriousunloaded
Source: https://filmasticpg.wixsite.com/mysteriousunloaded/post/the-mantis-update-a-new-look-and-enhanced-control

More of My Projects
Explore my complete portfolio of animations, research, and more.
To view all my projects, including 3D animations, research papers, robots, music, and more, click below!
Technologies: 
Demo: https://pranavsaigandikota.wixsite.com/filmasticpg


SKILLS

Languages: C, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, SQL, HTML, CSS

Frameworks & Libraries: React, React Native, Spring Boot, Spring Security, Spring Data JPA, Spring AI, Tailwind CSS, NativeWind, Expo

Databases & Auth: PostgreSQL, Supabase, Render, OAuth 2.0, Auth0

AI / ML: Google Gemini, GPT, LLaMA, PyTorch, TensorFlow.js, Transformers, OpenCV

Tools & Practices: Git, GitHub, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, Agile, Unity, Blender, Figma, Canva, Premiere Pro


ACHIEVEMENTS

Dean’s List | 2026 · University of Central Florida
Recognized for academic achievement at UCF.
B.S. Computer Science · GPA: 3.99 / 4.0

NSS Space Settlement Contest | First Prize (Dec 2022 – Feb 2023)
International recognition for space settlement design excellence.
Developed a 50-page research document on sustainability.
Presented oral and poster presentations at ISDC.

President’s Honor Roll | Fall 2024 & Spring 2025
Awarded for maintaining a 4.0 GPA in consecutive semesters.
Recognized for outstanding academic performance.

Honor Society & SCLA Honor | Leadership Recognition
Recognition for leadership contributions and academic success.
Awarded for academic excellence and leadership.


ANIMATIONS

Spooky Scary Skeletons Remix Song Dance Video | Skeleton Dance Animation
A spooky stop-motion skeleton dance animation for the Halloween season.
https://pranavsaig.dev/videos/skeleton_dance.mp4

Michael Jackson - Thriller | Jack Skellington Parody | The Nightmare Before Christmas
Jack Skellington performing Thriller in this classic parody.
https://pranavsaig.dev/videos/thriller_parody.mp4

Knighthacks Featured Animation
My latest animation work featured for Knighthacks. Produced, directed, and animated by me.
https://pranavsaig.dev/videos/knighthacks.mp4

Gwen Stacy walking upsidedown but in Lego
Lego recreation of the iconic Gwen Stacy upside down walk.
https://pranavsaig.dev/videos/gwen_lego.mp4

FilmasticPG - Nightmare Before Christmas Remake
Stop motion project featured on the FilmasticPG channel.
https://pranavsaig.dev/videos/nightmare_remake.mp4

otamajam
Animation short for otamajam.
https://pranavsaig.dev/videos/otamajam.mp4


Animations: https://www.youtube.com/@earthlytomcat11


THE MANTIS
A robot animatronic head I designed, built, and programmed, with controller support to operate its movements.
Video: https://pranavsaig.dev/videos/the-mantis.mp4
Other creations: https://filmasticpg.wixsite.com/mysteriousunloaded